Before making a decision of the proposed Zoning Code Amendments and the Zoning Map Update, the City Council shall consider the Zoning Commission proposed findings of the ten review criteria.

1. Whether the new zoning is designed in accordance with the growth policy; The proposed Zoning Amendments and Map Updates are consistent with the 2016 Billings Growth Policy Statement and Growth Guidelines:
Statement: "In the next 20 years, Billings will manage its growth by encouraging development within and adjacent to the existing City limits, but preference will be given to areas where City infrastructure exists or can be extended within a fiscally constrained budget and with consideration given to increased tax revenue from development. The City will prosper with strong neighborhoods with their own unique character that are clean, safe, and provide a choice of housing and transportation options."
Growth Guidelines:
Essential Investments (relating to public and private expenditures to public values)

Place Making (enhance, maintain, preserve and improve existing public places):

Strong Neighborhoods (livable, safe, sociable and resilient neighborhoods)

Home Base (healthy, safe and diverse housing options)

Mobility and Access (transportation choices in places where goods and services are accessible to all)

• Connecting people to places with transportation choices is vital to the well-being of Billings’ residents, businesses and visitors
• Safe and accessible transportation systems benefit everyone’s quality of life Affordable public transit is much desired
• Development oriented to transit routes will provide more transportation choices and is preferred

Prosperity (promoting equal opportunity and economic advancement)

• Predictable, reasonable City taxes and assessments are important to Billings’ taxpayers
• A diversity of available jobs can ensure a strong Billings’ economy Successful businesses that provide local jobs benefit the community Community investments that attract and retain a strong, skilled and diverse workforce also attracts businesses
• Retaining and supporting existing businesses helps sustain a healthy economy

As the Steering Committee and Working Groups considered each code section for the City of Billings, these Growth Guidelines and the Guiding Principles set forth by the Steering Committee in January 2018 were front and center to the discussions and decision making. The proposed Zoning Code and the Zoning Map update meet and exceed each one of the guidelines listed above. The proposed code conserves the un-renewable resource of land so the city can better meet the needs of all its residents, businesses, newcomers, and visitors now and into the future.

2. Whether the new zoning is designed to secure from fire and other dangers;

The new zoning requires minimum setbacks, open and landscaped areas and building separations in most of the new zone districts. The new zoning, as do all zoning districts, provides adequate building separations and density limits to provide security from fire and other dangers. The proposed code is more predictable for public safety services by eliminating the unlimited height in the multi-family zone districts, and by making site design for safe access part of the development requirements for new construction.

3. Whether the new zoning will promote public health, public safety and general welfare;

Public health, public safety and the general welfare will be promoted by the proposed zoning code update. The proposed neighborhood zone districts remove the unnecessary 1972 suburban zoning designation from Billings' first neighborhoods, restoring property equity throughout these districts and removing the past necessity for variances just to maintain existing quality neighborhood development. The new neighborhood zone districts reflect the development character of existing zones rather than imposing a pattern that does not exist and never existed in these areas of Billings. The new code allows developers and builders to choose this historical development pattern for new neighborhoods as well. The Planned Neighborhood Development zoning tool will allow the city to plan new neighborhoods in partnership with owners so these newly annexed areas fit as the city continues to grow. The PND rules allows the city to be a full participant at the table rather than accepting a zone decision and neighborhood plan developed started in the county without city input.
 

Transportation: The proposed zoning code should help the city provide transportation across the entire spectrum of options from public transit, private vehicles, walking and biking. Sprawling development patterns of homogenous land uses separated by miles from different land uses is an unsustainable development pattern that does not align with the future community vision in the Growth Policy. It unnecessarily increases vehicle trips, drives up demand for parking spaces, wider and more abundant high speed arterial streets, contributes to air pollution and unhealthy life styles. The proposed code will enable new neighborhoods to be close to everyday services, will require amenities that support walking (street trees), and allow compact site designs that are currently prohibited by our out-of-date zoning.
 
Water & Sewer: The proposed code will make extension and renewal of existing city water and sewer services more sustainable by allowing traditional development patterns to persist and to be replicated in new neighborhoods.
 
Schools and Parks: Schools and parks should be sustainable with the new zoning code. The creation of new Public zone districts specific for these public facilities will help maintain these large pieces of the community fabric in neighborhoods. Demand for additional classroom space further and further from the urban core may persist for some time, but the sustainability and renewal of close in neighborhoods should provide more opportunity for in-fill that will maintain student populations within existing schools. Parks will be part of every new Planned Neighborhood Development and will be developed. The requirement can count towards the state requirement for dedication of parkland for new residential subdivisions (or payment of cash-in-lieu), but every new neighborhood will have at least a small gathering space to improve the sociability and resiliency of these new areas.

5. Whether the new zoning will provide adequate light and air;

The proposed zoning, as does the current zoning, provides for sufficient setbacks to allow for adequate separation between structures and adequate light and air.

6. Whether the new zoning will effect motorized and non-motorized transportation;

The new zoning has updated off-street parking requirements that better reflect the parking demand for land uses. This will allow businesses to supply the right amount of parking and for neighborhoods to be assured off street parking is adequate for new developments. The new code supports the efforts of many of our neighborhoods by allowing existing neighborhood service business to stay in place. Non-motorized travel should also be improved with the new standards for zone districts that require street front landscaping for all new development, and the provision for at least one bike parking rack at new businesses.